Kite structure

ABSTRACT

A collapsible kite structure having a body of sheet material, a pair of structural members secured to said body and diverging with respect to each other when said body is extended to flying position, pins secured to said structural member and a cross brace adapted to engage said pins to hold said structural members in diverging position.

United States Patent Julius M. Christol'fel;

Lester F. Phillips, Houston, Tex. 750,274

Aug. 5, 1968 Mar. 16, 197 l Gayla Industries, Inc.

Houston, Tex.

Inventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee KITE STRUCTURE 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 244/153 Int.Cl B64c 31/06 Field of Search 244/ 153,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1953 Wilkin 2,848,258 8/1958 Mudd 287/54 2,950,015 8/1960 Pataky 287/54X 3,357,660 12/1967 Condrash0ff.... 244/153 3,074,672 1/1963 Hanrahan, Jr... 244/153 3,248,075 4/1966 Cunningham 244/153 3,305,198 2/1967 Sellers, .lr. 244/153 3,347,500 10/1967 l-lartig 244/153X 3,297,282 1/1967 Cunningham 244/153 Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant ExaminerPaul E. Saub'erer Attorneys-J. Vincent Martin, Joe E. Edwards and Jack R.

Springgate ABSTRACT: A collapsible kite structure having a body of sheet material, a pair of structural members secured to said body and diverging with respect to each other when said body is extended to flying position, pins secured to said structural member and a cross brace adapted to engage said pins to hold said structural members in diverging position.

KITE STRUCTURE SUMMARY A further object is to provide an improved collapsible kite structure which is simply and securely' held in extended flying position.

A still further object is to provide an improved connector for securing a cross brace to a kite structure to hold the kite structure in extended flying position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are hereinafter set forth and explained with reference to thedescription of the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a kite structure of the present invention flying.

FIG. is a plan view of the kite structure of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a detail view partially in section showing the structure for connecting one end of the cross brace to one of the structural members.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a detail view similar to F 16.3 showing a modified form of cross brace used with the improved connector of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The kite It] as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a body 12 of sheet material secured to the keel stick or structural member I4 and to the diverging wing sticks or structural members 16. The keel 18 is of sheet material and is secured to the body 12 and to the keel stick 14. The keel is provided with suitable means such as the reinforcing eyelet 20 for securing the string 22 to the kite for flying the kite.

The cross brace 24 which when positioned with its ends in engagement with the connectors 26, for functions to spread and hold the wing sticks 16 outwardly in diverging relationship to maintain the body 12 in extended flying position. With the cross braceZd disconnected, the kite 10 is readily collapsed and may be rolled around the structural members 14 and 16 into a compact unit for shipping and storage.

As best seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the connectors 26 are molded from a suitable material, such as, a low-density polyethylene. The connectors 26 include means of securing the connectors to the wing sticks 16 and a means for engaging the ends of the cross brace 24. The sleeve portion 28 forms the securing means and the pin portion 30 forms the the engaging means. The pin portion 30 extends outwardly from one side of the sleeve portion 28 at an angle relative thereto. The sleeve portion 28 of the connector 26 is specially formed to slide over and engage the wing stick 16. Where the wing stick 16 has a hollow square cross-sectional shape as shown, the interior of the sleeve portion 28 defines a square-shaped bore into which the wing stick I6 is received. If the wing stick 16 is round, the bore through the sleeve portion 28 should be round to closely fit over the wing stick 16. The pin 30 is integral with the sleeve portion 28 and is adapted to be received within the recess 32 defined in the end of the cross brace 24. In FIG. 5, the cross brace 24 is shown to be tubular having a cylindrical recess 32 and the pin 30 has a cylindrical shape fitting into the recess 32. In FIG. 6 the cross brace 24a is shown to be cylindrical having the end recesses 32a which receive the pin portions 30a of the connectors 2641. While the sleeve portion 28 of the connector 26 is shown to have a generally hollow square-shaped cross-sectional configuration and the pin 30 is shown to have a circular cross-sectional configuration, it should be understood that the sleeve portion may be made tubular or to have any other cross-sectional configuration to accommodate the cross-sectional shape of the wing stick l6 and the pin portion 3% may have any cross-sectional configuration so that it engages in the recess 32 defined in the end of the cross brace 24 to retain the cross brace 24 in position.

The connectors 26 are installed on the wing sticks 16 and are secured in proper position by suitable securing means such as, cement, glue or pinning. If the wing stick 16 being used is a plastic material that may be heat bonded, the connector 26 may be heat bonded to the wing stick 16. With the connector 26 secured to the wing stick 16, the body 12 is secured to the wing stick l6 and the keel stick 14. The keel is also secured to the body 12 and the keel stick 14. To retain the body 12 and the wing sticks 16 in extended flyingposition, the ends of cross brace 24 are brought into engagement with the pin portions 30 of the connectors 26..- Thus, the cross brace is securely en gaged between the two wing sticks 16 to maintain the kite It) in such extended flying position. With the string 22 secured in the eyelet 20, the kite is then ready to fly.

The improved connectors 26 include the pin portion which is adapted to be received within the recess defined in the ends of the cross brace 24 and also a means for securing the connectors 26 to the wing stick 16 at the desired position. The improved connectors are easily and quickly secured to the wing stick l6 and will remain in such secured position even when subjected to considerable stress and to water. The cross brace 24 may be a tubular member or may be a solid cylindrical member with the recesses 32 defined in each of its ends. It is further contemplated that cross brace 24 may be a solid cylindrical structural member and provided with a tubular sleeveat each end to define the recess 32 into which the pin portions 30 of the connectors 26 are received.

This improved connection of the cross brace 24 is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and provides a structure for maintaining the kite in extended flying position eve when subjected to considerable stress.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof and various changes in size, shape and materials as well as in the details of the illustrated construction, may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. A kite structure, comprising:

a pair of wing structural members;

a pair of connectors;

each of said connectors including a sleeve portion and a pin portion integral with and extending from the sleeve portion at an acute angie;

means for securing the sleeve portion of one of said connectors in fixed position intermediate the ends of each of said structural members so that the pin portion of the connector on one of said structural members extends toward and is aligned with the pin portion of the connector on the other of said structural members when the kite is in flying position;

a body secured to said wing structural members;

a cross brace having recessed ends for receiving the pin portions of said connectors to thereby retain said wing structural members in extended, kite flying position; and

a keel secured to the central portion of the side of said body opposite the side on which said cross brace is positioned.

2. A kite structure according to claim 1 wherein said connectors are molded polyethylene.

3. A kite structure according to claim 1 wherein said cross brace is a tubular structural member.

4. A kite structure according to claim 1 wherein said cross brace is a cylindrical structural member.

tor on one of said structural members extends toward and is aligned with the pin portion of the connector on the other of said structural members when the kite is in flying position; I

a body secured to said wing structural members; and

a cross brace having recessed ends for receiving the pin portions of said connectors to thereby retain said wing structural members in extended, kite flying position. 

1. A kite structure, comprising: a pair of wing structural members; a pair of connectors; each of said connectors including a sleeve portion and a pin portion integral with and extending from the sleeve portion at an acute angle; means for securing the sleeve portion of one of saId connectors in fixed position intermediate the ends of each of said structural members so that the pin portion of the connector on one of said structural members extends toward and is aligned with the pin portion of the connector on the other of said structural members when the kite is in flying position; a body secured to said wing structural members; a cross brace having recessed ends for receiving the pin portions of said connectors to thereby retain said wing structural members in extended, kite flying position; and a keel secured to the central portion of the side of said body opposite the side on which said cross brace is positioned.
 2. A kite structure according to claim 1 wherein said connectors are molded polyethylene.
 3. A kite structure according to claim 1 wherein said cross brace is a tubular structural member.
 4. A kite structure according to claim 1 wherein said cross brace is a cylindrical structural member.
 5. A kite structure, comprising: a pair of wing structural members; a pair of connectors; each of said connectors including a sleeve portion and a pin portion integral with and extending from the sleeve portion at an acute angle; means for securing the sleeve portion of one of said connectors in fixed position intermediate the ends of each of said structural members so that the pin portion of the connector on one of said structural members extends toward and is aligned with the pin portion of the connector on the other of said structural members when the kite is in flying position; a body secured to said wing structural members; and a cross brace having recessed ends for receiving the pin portions of said connectors to thereby retain said wing structural members in extended, kite flying position. 